Please Ask, Please Tell
by Henriy
Summary: One day Will returns to Salem. A Salem that has grown stange to him. One he doesn't recognize. One he actually doesn't want to see again. He never imagined coming back here, not after everything that has happened. When he bumps into Sonny he feels the urge to open up. But will it change anything?
1. Chapter One

Will had just closed the eyes when the flashback started again. He saw dust and desert. Blood and pain. Screams and struggles. Will sighed and opened the eyes again. He was definitely not getting any sleep just yet. While thinking of sleep he couldn't remember the last time he had actually slept. Was it three or already four days ago.

He looked out of the small window by his side. He saw the wing of the plane and the ocean beneath them. Will felt how his head began to spin and he suddenly felt dizzy. What was it with him and heights? There was no other way to get to the States. Well, that wasn't entirely true, there were also ships. But being on the ocean for several weeks? No way.

He breathed in and out and turned his head around. He saw the others sleeping, playing or just relaxing in their seats. For a second Will smiled. All of them had earned to get home. He imagined them to be picked up by their family, wives, husbands, children and friends. But thinking of this gave him a heartache. No one would pick him up.

He would just go home, lay in bed and wait for the next call, the next assignment. For a moment he felt something like regret in his chest. If he would've made different choices he wouldn't be here, he would have a family waiting on the other sides. And most importantly he hadn't seen what he had seen. He wouldn't wake up in the night, crying and coughing for air. He wouldn't have all those nightmares and daydreams reminding him of the horrible, cruel things still burned in the back of his mind.

He felt the plane going down and he instantly pressed his arms against the armrests, closing his eyes and breathing heavily.

"Can I help you with anything, Sir?"

Will smiled, though not opening is eyes. He heard the voice behind him and knew who had asked that question.

"No, thank you, Mason."

He laughed a little.

"By now you should know how I think of flying."

Behind him he heard Mason laugh a little, too. He liked Mason. He was a good kid. Whereas 'kid' was actually kind of a wrong word for him - being only 6 years younger.

"Yeah, Sir. I know that. It will be over soon."

"It's not that I don't know that … but still. Even us are allowed to have fears, aren't we?"  
Mason didn't answer. Will took it that he for once had made enough friendly smalltalk and for second maybe disagreed with Will's opinion. But Will knew that Mason would change his mind over the years.

Six years ago, Will had been so excited to fly with all these other people. He had looked at the private jet and for a moment he had forgotten his fear of heights. That was also partly due to him. Will felt a tear rolling over his cheek thinking back to his dark hair, his smile and the way he just could make him forget his worries.

Will shook the head to get these thoughts of him. There was nothing bringing him back into his life. He couldn't change the time, though he had wished for it so many times since October. It was already two months away but his heart still hurt like hell. He still felt this emptiness, this longing. He felt like a part of him was missing.

Of course he hadn't told that to anyone. They would get the wrong idea. They would accuse him of everything that wasn't true. So Will had stopped feeling, he had shaped up and lived on. Only at night, lying in his bed, turned to the wall he thought back to that day. But he was careful, wasn't crying and didn't act different than ever. He couldn't afford that.

Finally, he felt the little jump when the wheels touched the ground. He felt the relief in him and in the atmosphere. He felt the sudden joy, the happiness. For them the wheels hitting the ground meant seeing all their loved ones.

For him it just meant this flight was over. When he realized that he suddenly felt pathetic. When the plane stopped, he stood up, looking to the others, saw the gestures of respect they made, saying also goodbye and he turned around, stepping into the bright, non-natural light caused by neon lights on the ceiling. He was finally out of the plane. And he hoped to have the let his thoughts overseas. But back his head he knew that wasn't going to happen. At least not like this.

As he was walking through the airport, he heard the cries and screams of joy and relief. He saw families all around, children running towards their parents, jumping on them, hugging him. And he was also reminded that people looked at him, asking themselves what he was doing here on his own. Why he had no one to grab and kiss like there was no tomorrow. And if they had asked, Will couldn't have answered them anyway. He didn't know it either.

After the baggage claim, he went straight to the exit of the airport. There he stopped turning around to look at the big screen over the door. He looked for the next trains to Salem. He knew there were taxis waiting for him but right now he didn't want to alone. He felt like he needed people around him, needed to hear scraps of conversations, needed to see people that were behaving in a total normal manner, without acting all respectful and obeisantly.

Right now it seemed he got lucky. The train was scheduled to leave in exactly 10 minutes. Grabbing his bag and throwing in carelessly over his shoulder he started running towards the station. He had to fasten up, cause the station was quite a way away. But he knew he could make it.

"Excuse me. Sorry. I'm sorry."

Because he was running with that big bag over his shoulder he regularly bumped into people, causing him to apologize to various others.

People would normally have the chance to clear his way and they did that without complaining or without him asking for it. His appearance called for respect. That was another thing he didn't believe all those years ago when he was first told that.

But with him running and his bag falling over and moving under his big jumps between steps, they were robbed of this chance. And that's why he apologized. He knew they felt strange bumping into him and he didn't want that.

Strangely he would describe himself as a sensitive person and whenever he thought about that he suddenly got a feeling that his life was all wrong. He couldn't be who he was and be afraid of heights, the total darkness, blood and death. And being sensible didn't help either.

As he got to the station the train just rolled in. Lucky, to have made it here on time, Will got in. The first empty seat he spotted, he sat down in, putting his bag underneath his seat. But he hardly sat, when he saw how a woman came into his cabin. She was pregnant, so he knew he had to stand up and he knew he had to offer her that seat.

Will smiled and pointed to his seat, knowing the others in the cain were all occupied.

"Here take my place."

She smiled back at him. It was a thankful, warm smile, supported by her eyes. Her eyes were wonderful green, Will noticed.

"Thank you."

She sat down, waving to a little boy standing some feet away. The boy shyly came and was pulled onto her laps.

"Do you mind my bag under your seat?"

Will heard himself saying, as he was looking to this perfect little image the woman and the boy provided.

"No, no not at all." The smiled a last time towards him before getting a book out of her bag and reading it.

Ok... so I wrote an author's wrote as a "second chapter" - I strongly suggest you skip it to keep the suspense but if you feel offended by the way I describe Will and his situation please come back to it. Thanks...


	2. Author's note

I wanna start of by saying that I do not intend to disgrace the army and the people serving in it. I never meant to. Really. I have nothing respect for the people being in the army.

I just felt it that it would make a nice story and help me to create this whole dark secret in Will...

Thank you...


	3. Chapter 2

Will stood leaned against the door when he heard the announcement that the next station would be Salem already. He thought back to his childhood, thinking that back than the train to Salem took so long.

Without looking at the woman, he carefully pulled his bag out, holding it tight in his hand. He jumped out of the train breathing in the cold air, closing the eyes. He wasn't moving at all, just standing there, seeing other people getting out of the train and getting a move on to get to their homes.

The train closed its doors and disappeared in the darkness. Will was left alone on the platform, alone to the coldness, the darkness, the thoughts, the emptiness. He had to get rid of this feeling, fast. It was changing him for the worse.

He remembered that he was once somebody who smiled, laughed and giggle a lot. What happened to this boy, he asked himself before going down to the underpass.

Reaching the Horton Town Square he sighed. All those memories that reminded him of happier days, days where he still could be himself. Without acting. Memories of a childhood without all this thoughts about how people saw him. Back then, all this acting wasn't necessary, he could've been entirely himself.

He missed that and he knew it.

For a second he stopped at looked at the square. It was so dark here he could barely see anything but it felt like he saw it based of his memories. He saw the chairs and tables from the coffee house, the bench, the staircase, the sofa.

He had never understood why there was a sofa in a public place like this and how it survived the attacks of drunk young people every now and than but obviously it did and wasn't gonna mov. The people of Salem loved it, so it was going to stay.

He sat down on it, throwing his bag to the side, before lying down. He saw the night sky. It looked the same from everywhere on earth. He closed the eyes, all of a sudden feeling a feeling of tiredness.

"Just a moment." He said to himself, allowing himself to letting sleep take him away.

"_You are what?" _

_Will exclaims. He cannot understand why T would do such a thing. Was he even crazier that he thought? Has he given any thought to his family? Will knows they won't like this at all. I mean they will let him choose his future for himself but this idea? No way, too risky for someone like T._

"_You heard me. Chicks will love it..."_

_Will can't help but knew there had to be something behind it. But to realize this idea, just to have a pick up line. T wasn't Barney Stinson. That was not going to work._

"_You are beyond help, T, you know that right?"_

_T boxes him in the side._

"_We'll see, Horton, we'll see."_

_Suddenly Will hears a sound that sounds wrong in this moment. He hears punches and a scream._

Will opened his eyes. He knew this sound. It was the sound of a fight. He had been trained to recognize something like this everywhere.

He sat up, trying to orientate first himself and next the scream. When he knew where the fight took place he slowly stood up and went to the very same underpass.

Well hid behind in the bush, he tried to find out what this fight was all about. The last think he wanted is to get in the middle of a gang fight. He just wanted to help if one of the fighters had had no intention in getting into this fight. He felt that his back was sore, apparently the sofa wasn't as comfortable as it looked at first. He stood up straight, trying to relax his back

"Look the fairy cries."

He heard a voice say. It was a voice full of teasing, full of excitement that somebody was suffering. Will knew these people just too well. There was something about his words that made him want to puke.

Before there was another punch he stepped out of his hideaway looking straight into the underpass.

He didn't say anything, believing his appearance would be enough. He planted himself threateningly in front of men.

Will analyzed the scene. There was one man down, lying on the floor, hands in front in his face. Will saw blood on them as well as on his head. There were also three man, one with a bat. He knew they were responsible for this cause he saw there wounded knuckles. Apparently the man, now lying on the floor had been able to fight a bit. Will saw that one of the fighters had a black eye, the others had his hand on his side, obviously hurt. Just the one with the bat didn't look hurt at all. And exactly this man took some steps towards Will.

"You wanna protect this faggot? This queer?"

He was throwing with those words not knowing that the only one being hurt with them was he. The man on the floor didn't her them anymore, he was already unconscious. So those words couldn't hurt him in anyway.

Normally, insults didn't hit Will. But it was something about those words, these scene, this fight that got him angry. Will felt the anger growing inside him, reaching his heart and soul.

"Yeah, you got that right. I wanna protect that … "

He tried to answer in the same manner but couldn't do it. Instead he just let his voice drop low. But he made sure that he didn't look less threatening because of it.

The man opposite him raised his bat, trying to hit Will. But Will was quicker. He had learned to see this coming so he grabbed it with his palm, slowing down the bat. He grabbed it tight, not letting go of it. Next he pushed the bat back, so that the part his opponent had held flew into his stomach. His opponent went down to earth, gasping for air.

Will bowed down.

"I hope you learn from that."

There was something about the next hit on his cheek bone Will had not anticipated. When he was hit he stumbled a bit before he felt the blood in his cheek. Was it possible that the man...? Yes it was. Will saw the brass knuckles. Well wasn't that just wonderful? And unfair. However, Will stood up and hit the man. It wasn't just a slap or punch but a real hit right into the stomach. He put all his force into it. As his opponent lay on the floor, whimpering and holding his stomach Will stepped over him towards the other ones.

"So, you two have the choice now. Either you run or you fight."

Both of them obviously chose running away cause after literally seconds Will just saw the backsides of both of them. Next he turned his head to the wounded on the floor. Going down, Will picked him up. Carefully holding him Will went back to get his bag, carefully not to hurt the person in his arms, he tried to get a hold of his bag an managed to bring both things back to his apartment.


	4. Chapter 3

Will lay the wounded on his bed, knowing that this night wouldn't become a comfortable one. His apartment was a one room apartment, meaning that there was no sofa. The only things beside his bed were a table with four chairs and a big, old armchair. So Will knew what he had to do.

Carefully because he didn't want to wake the man up he looked at his wounds. The wound on the back of his head hadn't stopped bleeding yet but Will knew that wounds on the head looked scarier than they actually were. He got a towel from the bathroom, putting it under the head to prevent that the blood was going to get on his sheets.

As the wounded lay there, breathing normally Will had a chance to look around the room. He hadn't been here for a very long time. He saw the dust on the shelves, on the frames. There were no pictures in the frames anymore, Will had once burned them all. There had been an argument and he had reacted in pure anger. He had taken all the pictures, photos and memories and had burned them all on the balcony. Looking back he regretted that. Because he had burned all things that reminded him of life. He had burned parts of his life – just like that.

Will knew those thoughts wouldn't change, wouldn't just go away. So he tried to think about something else. Somehow he his eyes gazed to the person lying on his bed. Will saw his dark hair, his angular face. He was rather handsome, although he knew in the morning he would wake up swollen and black. The man looked peaceful given the circumstances Will had pulled him out. He snore quietly, not so much that it would disturb anyone. What he was dreaming of? It seemed like a nice place, Will thought. But then he stopped himself staring at him.

"I wouldn't be fond of somebody staring at me, as well."

Sadly, because strangely there was nothing else he wanted to do but to stare at this young man, he stood up and walked into the bathroom. There he put of his boots, his jacket, shirt, tie and trousers and put them all in the bath tub. Normally he would put them on the armchair but since he was going to sleep there tonight … After that he shortly brushed his teeth. He enjoyed standing in a real bathroom, one with clean water, tiles and a nice strong lamp. He switched it of, when he left the room and went straight to the armchair. Half sitting, half lying on it he tried to close his eyes for a while.

_Will stands alone in a dark room. It is so dark that he can hardly see any of possible outlines. Despite the lamp that is carried he can't really see his own hand in front of his eyes. He is scared but is determined to b strong. He needs to be strong for them, for him and for himself. He leads the other's through what seems to be a door when he suddenly hears a cry that goes through his bones, shaking him up from the inside. In this very moment he knows whose scream that was. He just knows it and he starts to feel his knees get weak under the weight of his body. He wants to run there, wants to have look, gosh just wants too help so badly but he knows he isn't allowed to. He is not allowed to and so he has decide between rules and the cause of that scream and he decides for the rules. _

Will awoke and looked down on him. His body was full of sweat, he saw his skin shine in the light coming from the outside. That was a first. Will needed a moment to orientate himself again until he fully knew were he was. He stood up, looked on the bad, where the man still lay and went to his cupboard. Silently he got a shirt and comfy trousers and put them both on. It was nice to feel something different on his skin. He looked at the watch. He had actually slept in? But it was then that he remembered that he hadn't actually fallen asleep at night. The last time he had memorized was 6am. So he had slept hardly 5 hours. But still for him, that was still a first. For him, 5 hours felt like a whole night.

There wasn't much in the fridge. Hardly anything. Looking in the cupboards Will saw a bit more but still nothing good. Just stuff that could be stored in for years, like peas or beans in cans, rice, pasta and flour. In very back of that cupboard Will found coffee beans. While brewing coffee Will put away the blanket he had used. He had always been kind of a neat freak, that came along with his need to have a plan for everything going on in his life. Will sighed, when he thought about those two treats were the only ones of his traits that brought him to the point in life where he was right now.

Will leaned against the kitchen wall. He looked into nothing, everything for his eyes was blurred.

"What? Where .. Where am I?" The voice was scared and panicked.

Will hushed while moving to the side, so that the young man could get a look at him. He knew how important that was. He put down his coffee cup on the table and raised his hands. This little gesture helped in all countries. It was based on animals. Show your opponent that you don't have anything in your hands and he will relax again, thought Will. It was that simple.

"Hi. Morning."

The young man just stared at him. He made a move as if he wants to touch his hair, when he notices the dried blood.

"Fuck! What did you do to me?"

The man jumped up, now standing on the bed he hastily looked around the room looking for something he could use as a weapon.

"I didn't do anything to you. Remember, you were beaten up, last night."

Will didn't expect that reaction at all. Right now he was really worried. What if his guest couldn't remember anything at all? He didn't want to go down because he help someone. That just wouldn't be fair at all.

But luckily for him, the young man made a face like his memories were coming back. He nodded carefully and slowly.

"So you found me?"

Will nodded.

"I'm Will."

Will decided to take some steps towards his guest and tried to offer him his hand but his guest just went some steps back. Will pulled back his hand, looking worried.

"Sorry. I'm Sonny."

Sonny's voice was regretful. He probably wasn't awake yet.

"Tell you what. You take a shower," Will pointed to the bathroom. "and I brew you a coffee..."

Sonny slowly nodded. Just before he was completely in the bathroom, he looked back into the room.

"Do you have a shirt I could borrow? Mine's quite ruined..."

Will nodded.

"The cupboard in the bathroom. Pick one."


	5. Chapter 5

Will just put the second cup on coffee to the table as Sonny came out of the bathroom. He wore a plain blue T-shirt, that Will recognized to be his favorite.

"My favorite."

Will heard himself say. Why was he saying that? It didn't matter to Sonny. It shouldn't matter.

"And it's the only one that is neither black nor grey nor white."

Sonny sat down, taking the cup to his hands.

"You my friend, have a very sad cupboard."

Will smiled at the sight of the wonderful brown eyes across him.

"Maybe I'm a sad person. But anyway how are you?"

Sonny raised his hand to his head and touched it gently.

"I guess it'll work. Thank you, though."

Will laughed as he poured another coffee in his cup.

"For what? Beating up those guys, carrying you plus my bag to my apartment, giving you my bed while I had to sleep on that not very comfy armchair, giving you my T-shirt and a coffee or scaring the crap out of you?"

"You carried me?"

Sonny couldn't believe it. His eyes were wide open and staring and Will. His eyes were so friendly, spirited. How could somebody have so amazing eyes? Will just shrunk the shoulders to find an answer to Sonny's question.

"And you beat up those guys? All by yourself? But you aren't superman, are you?"  
Will shook his head and then looked straight back into the chocolate brown into Sonny's eyes. A

"Even if I were superman, I wouldn't tell you, would I?"

Sonny smiled.

"Point taken."

Sonny stood up and went to the kitchen cupboards and opened them. After a while looking through all those empty shelves, he looked back to Will.

"And apparently you don't eat enough."

Will didn't answer. He didn't want Sonny to know too much about him. Nobody knew a lot about him and he wasn't going to change that anytime soon.

Sonny seemingly sensed that Will was very uptight about himself. Will saw the controversy on his face, shining through his eyes, his little gestures. He really wanted to know more about his saver, apparently. In that moment Will decided to bent the rules a little.

"I'm not home that often. Actually this isn't my home anymore."

"When was it last?"

Sonny was good. He sensed Will's emotions before Will knew them completely. Just as if Sonny could see through him, reading his very own feelings, feelings that were so very private.

"You're good, do you know that?"

Will jokingly asked, determined to avoid this question.

Sonny smiled and leaned back. He knew what Will was trying to pull.

"Let's go out. I'm hungry. It's my treat..."

Will shook the head. He didn't want to go out. He could be seen, people could recognize him. But looking in this big brown eyes, pleading for a 'yes' Will felt himself not able to neglect Sonny's wish.

"All right. Your puppy eyes have me. But you pay!" Will stood up and quickly showered and put on some clothes.

"Here you go."

Sonny pressed a bag into Will's hand together with a paper cup of coffee.

"You know, when you said, let's go out, I imagined sitting somewhere and having real breakfast."

"We are having real breakfast."

"No. We are having a bagel and a coffee to go."

"Shut up. If it weren't for me you would just be eating rice with pasta."  
Will started laughed. He had never imagined this day to start so great.

"Sonny?"

"Oh my god, Sonny?"

Will and Sonny turned around and saw two people running towards their bench.

"Here we go..." Sonny murmured.

He stood up and hugged the woman and the man, who then went over to look at his wounds and his black eye. They looked at his hands and exclaimed sighs and sympathy. Will could hear their genuine concern.

"Who is your friend?"

The man asked Sonny with looking at Will, who tried to look busy and looked therefore at his cellphone.

"Oh Dad, sorry."

Sonny pulled at Will's sleeve trying to get him to stand up. Though he didn't want to, he stood up straight and shook the hand Sonny's dad had given him.

"That's Will. That is my dad, Justin Kiriakis and that's my mom Adrienne Kiriakis."

Will nodded to both names and tried hard to keep an friendly face. He was glad Sonny didn't know his whole name.

"Will prevented worse..."

Will heard Sonny say before he faded the conversation out. He was admiring Sonny for the way he dealt with his parents, so easy going, so open. He was like a kid, happy to see them again. Though his first remark wasn't as excited and probably meant as joke he was thrown back in years when he spoke with them.

"So we have to thank this young man, here?"

Adrienne Kiriakis asked. Will nodded.

"I guess so. But it wasn't really anything, Mrs Kiriakis."

"I don't see that like this. You fought of three man at the same time and carried our son all the way to our apartment."

Justin Kiriakis added to Will's comment. Will just smiled. He didn't want all this gratitude. "Everybody would've made the same."

Will thought and spoke out loud.

"Sadly, they don't."

"Have you eaten, yet? We would like to invite you both to the mansion, if you don't mind."

Sonny turned around and looked at the paper bag in Will's hand.

"Actually we … "

Will knew what Sonny was going to say, so he interrupted him.

"Thank you, very much, Mr and Mrs Kiriakis. It was nice meeting you. And Sonny, take care ok?"

He turned around, leaving Sonny to his parents without looking back. He was just gone some meters as someone put his hand on his shoulders. Thunderstruck, he turned around quickly and was all prepared to hit whoever was standing behind him. His whole body was gone in a mode of self protection. He raised his hand to punch him or her and just stopped as he saw who was standing behind him.

He quickly dropped the arm.

"Sorry." His voice was low. He was seriously of. Something was wrong with him.

"Are you hungry?" Sonny looked at him like nothing had happened. As if Will had never turned around, as if he had never raised his hand, as if they hadn't met just yesterday but several years ago.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for your reviews. I appreciate every single one of them... :) and i also would like to say that bear with me if i don't upload stuff very quickly. I am packed with university stuff... But i won't forget to give this story an ending Will and Sonny deserve... so here you go, enjoy... xxx**

"Thank you." Will said as he stepped inside the mansion Sonny apparently had grown up. He looked around. Even the hall was twice as big as his apartment.

"Don't fall asleep or do something boring like asking how old this building is and who built it?" Sonny whispered to him as he went on tho the dining room. Will fallowed him, still out of breath. Partly because of this building, partly of Sonny's behavior. Sonny drove him crazy. He was so friendly, so open, so loveable. It was like Sonny couldn't be angry and anyone.

"Sit down, will you?"

Sonny asked him. It was the typical 'You are me making nervous' that sounded with in his voice. But it wasn't Sonny who felt nervous, it was Will. He was so close on loosing his nerves.

"What drink can I offer you?"

Justin Kiriakis stepped into the room, fixating Will a moment before going to the a cupboard filled with all kinds of liquors. Will decided to take a Brandy.

"Good choice!" Justin smiled and Sonny joked as if he was offended by that smile.

"I don't drink this stuff, you know. So whenever I have a friend around and they drink what dad loves, he likes them more than me." Sonny murmured as an explanation for his move.

"Lunch is served, Sir."

The housemaid came in and at the word 'Sir' both, Justin Kiriakis and Will turned around whereas Will also stood up even a little straighter.

Sitting at the table between the potatoes, vegetables, drinks and bread slices, no body said anything. Will wanted to make smalltalk but he knew he wasn't any good in it so he didn't even bother.

"May I ask whether you have a job?"

That apparently was Adrienne Kiriakis way of smalltalk. She knew that she didn't want to seem rude asking this question. Will regretted his choice of letting him been dragged here. He had problems to deal with, thoughts that nobody had to interfere in. And he knew that they would when he answered that question.

"Yes. I travel a lot."

Was that an appropriate description of what he was doing with his time? Would it be enough to gently tell them he didn't want to talk about himself? Back in his mind he knew the answer to that question before he heard them speaking.

"So what exactly are you doing?"

It was Sonny's question and there was something about him that made him want to answer this question. He still hesitated and looked for Sonny's eyes hoping to see any kind of support and reassurance. He found it but still didn't start talking it was so hard. Sonny looked back at him and probably saw the battle behind his eyes. Suddenly he touched Will's hand, that was beneath the table, lying on his leg. This little touch made Will heat up inside, he felt the heat rising from his hand, all through his arm reaching his chest and heart. He suddenly had the feeling he could do this. He could talk about this. But he knew it was wrong. He didn't know any of those people and yet here he was. Eating lunch with people he really just met today. He stood up still shaking from the sudden realization and the sudden contact with Sonny's soft skin.

"I am sorry, Mr and Mrs Kiriakis, but I really have to go. That was a mistake. Have a nice day."

He turned to Sonny who looked at him with wide open eyes, seeming to be worried. But he couldn't fool Will. He had seen the disappointment and him being offended by his move and the things he said.

"Bye Sonny. You are really special, don't let anyone speak to you in any other way, all right?" Sonny nodded silently, still unable to understand his reaction to the question and his goodbye. But Will couldn't blame him for his confusion. He was confused all by himself right now. It was probably just too much for him. Everything seemed to press his back against a wall, unable to breath and to work through it. He looked at his hosts again, putting all his sorries in to his look before he turned around and went out of the dining hall.

He was hardly outside as he felt his eyesight become blurry without him knowing why exactly. He was so messed up and all of a sudden he got so angry that he kicked against a can, lying on the sideway as he was walking through the alley.

"So do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"

He heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Grandma?"

He had turned around to see his grandma Marlena behind him. She didn't look a single day older from when he had left her and everyone else.

"You look good, Will. Look how handsome you've gotten."

"Meaning I wasn't before?"

His grandma chuckled as he stood still waiting her to catch up to him.

"Oh, honey you were. You always were. After all you have my genes."

Will chuckled at her words as they got to her car.

"I was simply stating that the sun down there suits you."

Will grinned. Did she have to remind him of that? Couldn't she just leave his business to him? But then again, he knew she couldn't. Her job and her absolute passion to help others made that impossible for her.

"That is by far the only thing I would count as positive."

She raised an eyebrow. And just like Sonny she read between his lines. She saw all those little movements in his skin, between his eyes and she was able to read him completely.

"So bad?"

Will just managed to nod. There was nothing coming over his lips in this moment, too surprised was he by her love and by her obvious worries for him.

"Grandma? Why are you talking to me? I thought my family had abandoned me..."

He said hoping to hear that it was just a dream and that he was wrong. That he could just go home, hugging his siblings, his mother, his dad. That he still had a home where nothing mattered but the blood running through your veins. A home were all past quarrels were forgotten.

But his grandma smashed those dreams as she opened the car.

"Ahh. You're right. Because you don't have a family anymore."

He knew she wasn't thinking that way she just quoted words said in a fight so long ago, Will could hardly remember it.

"Do you want to grow roots there, my darling? Why don't you get in the car and us two drive to my family. I'm sure they would be happy to see you."

Will made a sound, showing his grandmother that he did not believe in her a declaration but he got in the car anyway. In this moment he was willing to risk it. And at the same time he made himself a promise. If his parents were to put him back out on the street he was going leave Salem and never look back. He would rather have himself breaking his heart than to have it broken by others.

While she drove him through the city, Will stared out the window. Some areas had changed in the past six years some hadn't changed at all. He still recognized the high school. It had been such a long time since he last stood on the basketball court, scoring the final points for the Salem Lions. Such a long time since he last walked those halls, with _him_ at his side. A lot had changed, not on the outside but on the inside. Just like him. When he realized that and admitted that to himself, Marlena already drove onto the pathway.

His legs shook as he climbed out of the car. He was near to tears, anxious to see Allie, Johnny and Sydney. He could not wait to see them all grown up, becoming Teenagers very soon.

But when he followed Grandma Marlena to the door he couldn't help but become nervous. What if they were rejecting him before he even saw them. That was all he wanted if he was to be kicked out. To see them and to hold them in his arms before he could close the chapter of his life.

He saw and heard Marlena knock on the door. The next seconds until the door was opened felt like hours. Several times Will had thought about going away, to leave this house, this street, this town. But the tension wouldn't let him. As he heard the door being opened, he waited for his grandma to explain him standing, waited for her to say it is ok to come in, waited for her to say anything at all, to take those feelings from him. But apparently she knew she didn't need to.

"Will"

A scream so wonderful reached his ears, already full of tears Will bowed down to hug his sister Sydney. She had grown so much, she had outgrown all the memories he had kept of her. Being already 10 years old, Will realized how much he had missed of her. How much she must've missed him.

"I missed you so much, Sydney. So much."

It didn't take long until all his siblings had seen their brother. Will took time for everyone he kissed his sisters, both of them and he told Johnny how cool he looked in his old T-shirt. And so happy Will in this moment was, tears streamed from his eyes, not even seeming to stop. He had seen his siblings again. Maybe this day would turn out better than he had hoped. But even if it didn't, he had seen what he had wanted to see for such a long time.

When he stood up straight again, he saw another figure on the door step.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you all again and again for those sweet reviews. You actually keep this story alive as I drown in work... but i keep writing it for you. Next thing, sorry about the mess with the chapter titles but they are all in order. just don't get confused. **

He looked at her quite a while, without seeing a reaction on her face. His mother stood there, looking at him, not able to express what she felt or thought. The happiness Will just felt disappeared, he had known that this was a mistake. It had been a mistake coming here hoping for forgiveness. His look went down, looking at the stones on the grounds. His voice trembled and was barely audible.

"Hello, Mom."

He looked back up and straight into her face and that was when it struck him. He saw tears. Small, drops of water running over her cheeks.

"Will!"

She sobbed while running some steps towards him. He saw her desire to hug him but she stopped herself half way through. Instead she raised her fingers and let them go onto his temple, carefully touching him. But he wanted more. He wanted to feel her touch on his body, her warmth, her comfort. So he gave in. He closed the distance between them and picked her up. Him being so fit and her being just average height and average weight made that possible.

"Will... baby. You are back."

She whispered in his neck while both just stood there, deeply sunken in this hug, not letting go for what seemed like eternity.

"Samantha? What's going on here?"

Will heard the voice and immediately put his mother back to the ground, before he went back to standing straight and looking cold towards the man who just came outside the house.

"Hello EJ."

His voice was strong, though Will knew that he was close to fainting. In the door stood EJ DiMera, the new husband of her mother. He knew they had married, well at least he suspected it. EJ had proposed a while back, when Will first left Salem. Ever since then Will thought about his mother every then and now, imagining what she was doing in that very moment. And he always imagined her to be with EJ.

"William! It's nice to see you. When did you get back?"

Will realized that EJ was the only one who hadn't been involved in the fight. He was totally cool with Will being who he was. As soon as that went through Will's head, he stepped forward and wanted to hug EJ but his step-dad pulled away.

"Please William, no need to get just so sentimental here."

EJ put out his hand, clearly wanting a handshake. Will took his hand and squeezed it a little. Right now it all came back to him. He had nearly forgotten the reservedness EJ had. He was never fond of hugs, especially from Will, his former intern, back when Will was still in Salem and still in high school.

Will saw Marlena going inside and his family followed her. Still nervous and afraid how all this was going to turn out Will went inside and closed the door behind him. The DiMera Mansion. That was it. And for him, being a guest it was still strange to see his whole family living here.

The early afternoon, Will spent with his siblings. His mother had told him to watch them as long as EJ worked and Grandma Marlena and her prepared something to eat for tea-time. Initially Will had refused he didn't want to stay for so long, he didn't want to push his luck too much. But when his mother had insisted he had agreed, because he feared to make her disappointed or even angry. But he wasn't really hungry, 5pm wasn't his usual time to eat, but EJ, being grown up in England demanded his tea-time punctually at 5pm. Something else Will wasn't used to at all.

So Will spent his time with Johnny. He looked over Johnny's comic collection, looked over his photos and saw himself swooning over a girl going with Johnny to junior high. It was great seeing himself grow up again.

Johnny's room had so many similarities to Will's former room, he saw posters of films and bands he had loved, he saw clothes he still remembered. As Will saw his old baseball bat, another pair of tears rolled over his cheeks. But Johnny didn't notice that, so happy was he to see his big brother again.

And going to Allie, was surprised how grown up she was. He had expected her room to be a fairytale princess room but instead it was a very ladylike room. He walls were covered in pictures from magazines, concerning models and make up. Will looked around in her room and suddenly he felt this ache again, this ache showing him how much he had missed.

Only Sydney was still a child. And she had the pink room Will imagined. Her change was easier to except. He was willing to get back into his family and she would still grow up with him at her side. Will felt that with her he still had a chance to make things right, because she might not remember the fight and him leaving her. But she wasn't sure. She seemed still estranged around him. Maybe she didn't know anymore that he was her brother. And so much Will wanted to know whether she knew who he was he didn't dare to ask.

"Tea is ready!"

He heard his mom shouting. Anxious to be included in a family ritual like this, he picked up Sydney just to feel her in his arms, before he ran downstairs with her on his shoulders.

"Johnny?" His mom asked Will's younger brother who came into the kitchen just before him. "Would you be so kind and take your sisters to the living room. You are even allowed to watch TV while you are eating, ok?"

Johnny looked at her with big brown eyes before nodding enthusiastically and leading his sisters through another door. Will sadly let go of Sydney before he followed his mother through an opposite door.

"Coffee or tea, Will?"

His mother asked him without looking him in the eyes. She was still uncomfortable around him but because he felt the same way he just answered her without reading too much into her gestures.

"Coffee, please. I haven't slept at all, last night."

"But I thought you arrived yesterday evening?"

Marlena asked casually but Will heard her concern. She always knew there was more going on with him.

"Oh. We did. But I had a guest staying over and he blocked the bed for me. So I had to stay on the armchair."

He smiled a little when he thought back to Sonny and his encounter with him. For a moment he got carried away while trying to think at the pale skin, the black hair. Those brown eyes.

The others didn't say anything more. Marlena obviously waited for him to explain what guest he had staying over but Will didn't feel like telling her.

"Was it a friend of yours?"

EJ asked him and Will knew EJ was so straight forward that there was no other motive hidden in that question.

"No. It was Sonny Kiriakis. He was robbed near my room, so I took care of him."

That was the point of the conversation where is mother turned around and looked at him for the first time. She put the cup of coffee down and took herself a biscuit as she said down opposite him.

"You sure he was robbed?"

Will was unsure of that question. What was she trying to tell him? He didn't say anything and just looked at her, waiting to repeat her real question.

"Well, I think he was gay-bashed."

Will looked at her with wide open eyes.

"I wasn't sure how much you know him. I wasn't sure whether I could tell you..."

"Bullshit!"


	8. Chapter 7a

He saw her eyes staring right into his. He felt her look sliding down her spine, leaving burning marks of wherever that look went. He was just shocked unable to move, to react to say anything at all. What was she saying? What was she referring to? What did he do wrong? He went through the stuff he said but couldn't find a fault.

"Sami! Take that back. The boy didn't do anything wrong."

He felt Marlena's hand on his shoulder but he didn't dare to look up from his plate.

"Oh yes he does. He didn't tell us that Sonny was _gay_."

She stressed that last word, making it sound different from the other words. He knew why she did that. He knew it and hated her for it.

"Yeah, because I didn't want to share his private life, I had no permission to do so. Maybe he wasn't out. How should I know when I just met him yesterday!"

Will lost his nerves. What was she expecting from him? Why was nothing he said or didn't say good enough in his eyes?

"That is why I said 'bullshit'. You had your own reasons not to tell us."

Will knew she was right. He hadn't mentioned because he didn't want to stir around in still waters. He didn't want to make waves. But he also didn't want her to know that she was right. He took a sip from his coffee. The hot liquid running through his mouth and throat made him stronger immediately.

EJ looked at Will and Will had the impression he immediately knew why Will hadn't told anything he knew.

"Samantha, please. Let's stop this topic and just focus on the cake."

Will didn't say anything. He felt uncomfortable. He wanted to get out of here and he felt like he desperately needed his father at his side.

"Could somebody tell me, where dad is living right now? I really want to visit him."

As soon as he saw the cold eyes of his grandmother and the face of EJ saying that he fucked up, he wanted to take back the question he just asked. But he knew that was a wish that was not going to happen. His mother had heard his question and she was going to explode on it. There was no way around it.

But Will also felt that was something really heavy going on, when his questions had had this impact.

"What happened to dad? Mom?"

He looked at her, getting more and more angry. He saw her lips being pressed tight together. Suddenly she jumped up and went to the kitchen.

"He died."

As his mother was gone out of the room, Will had just understood the meaning of that question. His dad, Lucas Horton was dead? No way.

Furiously, he went after his mother towards the kitchen.

"Mom!"

"Don't Mom me, don't dare you say mom to me! You weren't there."  
Will felt his anger inside him.

"You didn't even bother to tell me, aren't I right!"

"You couldn't have come anyway, you were away!"

Sami turned around in anger trying to do the washing up. She grabbed the plates and one of them fell down to the floor and broke.

"See what you've done! You broke our family!"

That was the moment Will felt something in him break. He knew that if he was going to explode right here there was nothing to repair. He would've lost his family for good. But he also knew that he couldn't stop himself. He just couldn't.

"Just because you wouldn't support me, mom. Both of you couldn't deal with the stuff I told you. And now that I am all alone you want to make me responsible of all the things that went wrong in your life? That is not going to happen! I am not the one to blame that dad is dead. I would've found time. But you wanted someone to blame, that's why you didn't tell me. You left me, mom. I didn't. You left me the day I told you that I would leave. The day I followed _him_ to the station!"

Will turned around and went. For a moment he thought about saying goodbye to his siblings and as much as it hurt, he decided not to do it. They were too young to understand a goodbye for forever.

As he left the mansion he didn't look back.

He knew this day would turn out like this. He just knew it. And he blew it anyway. What had he done? What had _he_ done? For a short moment he blamed _him_ for everything that had gone wrong in his life before he realized that he wasn't better as his mom. This wasn't about anybody but him. He went. He blew up. He made that choice. His parents made theirs and reacted. Nobody but them was to blame for their own choices in life.

That was when he thought back to his father. Lucas Horton. Will remembered his face, his hair. He remembered how he was the one he could talk to when his mother had messed up everything. And she had messed up a lot. Will remembered growing up in many different houses with many different men. But Lucas was always there for him. Even in the worse days when Lucas and Sami were still together but fighting every single day, Will knew his father had time for him. Lucas had been there for him for every step in his life.

When Will had told his decision to leave, he wasn't happy but he understood. He said Will would have a chance to change something. He understood why it looked interesting to Will. He first tried to talk it out of Will, but when Lucas saw how determined Will was about his future, he stopped questioning it.

But when Will told his father about the real reason he wanted to leave Salem, even Lucas fought with him. It wasn't at bad as the fight with Sami, but it still hurt. The scar caused by that caused by that fight had never healed completely. Whenever Will tried to contact Lucas, Lucas was away. Away with work, with friends, with women. Will understood. It was too painful to see his son. So he stopped contacting his father. That was two years after he left Salem. And it felt like a clean cut, a total break with the town and his family.

Lucas couldn't be dead.. He just couldn't.

When Will first looked up again, he stood in front of a coffee house. Why not, he thought. Maybe a little distraction was exactly what he needed right now.


	9. Chapter 8

"What can I get you?"

The waiter came quickly. Will had just sat down at the first table he had seen. He looked down at the table and didn't look up as he said his order.

"Just a black coffee."

"Small, Medium or Large?"

Angrily Will looked up while shouting.

"Do I look like I care?"

And he saw Sonny. His mouth dropped open so did his eyes. He knew he couldn't take back what he said though he wanted to. Sonny was the only person that was as close as a friend he had in Salem. He knew things hadn't quite turned out the way he wanted them to, but h really felt that there was a chance of opening up. Staring in Sonny's brown eyes he felt that Sonny would bring him to open op. Maybe not right now, maybe not even today. Maybe not everything at once but someday Will felt that he could trust Sonny.

"A large cup of coffee it is. Just a second."

Sonny didn't look surprised to see Will and he treated him just with the cool respect he had towards customers. Just for a moment Sonny lingered in his eyes before turning around and going straight behind the counter without looking back.

The coffee house was nearly empty, not particularly weird considering the time. By now people went home had dinner and went out to restaurants. Coffee houses had already reached their peek time three hours ago.

Will noticed just another couple far across the room. They clearly had a first date. Will saw the shy movements and the small laughters. He felt the awkwardness between them whenever they had no topic to talk about and he also felt the urge to impress the other in the air. He looked away, giving them the privacy he would like to have on his date.

He saw Sonny leaving the counter and saw him coming towards him with two cups of coffee. Without hesitation and without asking whether he could sit down, Sonny grabbed the chair and put their coffees on the table.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Will shook the head, waiting for more to come out of Sonny's mouth. He wanted to hear more of this beautiful voice filled with so much compassion. He took the coffee and put it to his lips. Somehow the liquid warmed him up from the inside. He felt less cramped up inside.

"I don't know..." he heard himself say to Sonny.

His voice was low and he carefully pronounced the words, after thinking about them for long.

"...where to start?"

Sonny smiled. Will noticed how he finished his sentence and strangely he wasn't intimidated by it at all.

"There is so much to say. So much I want to get of my chest."

"Just start. I have time. Those two lovebirds over there have already paid up an hour ago and don't seem to care about me at all. I will listen. I promise."

"Why?"

That question caught Sonny off guard. Will saw the confusion in his eyes. Before Sonny could express that very confusion out loud Will interrupted him.

"Why are you listening to a total stranger? Why did you want me to have lunch with your family? Why are you still nice to me after I push you away over and over again?"  
Sonny shrugged. He thought quite a while. Will saw the ideas running through his mind. He saw the words chasing each other trying to get spoken behind his hazelnut eyes.

"You saved me. I could've ended up in hospital. They could've done worse to me. And you took me in, a stranger you didn't even know. You were so patient with me. With that lunch I wanted to say thank you, as did my parents. I know now that that was quite a messed up idea and that I caught you there by surprise and I am sorry. I guess what I am trying to say that I want to thank you by being there for you just as you have been there for me. And I hope you let me."  
His voice sounded so sincere that Will had a hard time believing it. Sonny was grateful and sorry for something. He was clearly moved, looking at Will after revealing all of this to him. Will saw his eyes shine at him. Will understood almost instantly. He started speaking with a shaking, trembling voice. He didn't think anymore it was all just coming out of his words.

"I am William Robert Horton. I am 24 years old. I am a Lieutenant with the U.S. Army. Yesterday I came back to Salem from a service."

Sonny was surprised.

"No way! You are a soldier?"

Will smiled at him. It was a positive surprise. The first he had gotten. It was positive. He couldn't even believe it.

"Where were you stationed?"

"Libya."

The word came out quickly and cold. Will didn't want to think back but he knew just a word would make him remember everything he saw. For a second he became silent, trying to push away the fire, flames and the bullets.


	10. Chapter 9

**Ok so it was a long time. A very long time and I am sorry about that. Good news: I am actually finding my back to the story, meaning I have written more than published so far, so if i remember posting some chapters I will do so. You could just write me reviews, then emails will remember me. :)) **

**No seriously, thank you for waiting and reading this. :D**

* * *

Sonny clearly didn't saw his struggle. He was just focussing all his attention on Will, handing on his lips to here more about Libya.

"I've never been there. Please tell me something about it."

Will was amazed by his interest and also scared about what to say.

"Well... The people are amazing down there. The civilians at least. They are so open and friendly towards you. They let you talk and play with their kids on the street. And the children. They are actually so interested in us and what we do. A lot of people are actually. Like you."

Will smiled at Sonny.

"I've never been to Libya. I've never been to South-East Asia, actually. Always wanted to go though."  
"I take it you travel a lot?"

Sonny nodded enthusiastically. Will saw the energy in his move and it made him smile almost instantly.

"I've been to Europe a couple of times and to the Himalayas."  
"Himalayas? Don't tell me you are one of those guys that do rock climbing."  
Sonny looked at him and straight through his eyes.

"Well then. I don't tell you then. What about you? Ever been climbing?"

"Me? Never. I am afraid of heights, when I look out the window of my apartment in the first floor."  
Just the thought of the height made Will shiver. He didn't say anything more. He just looked around the coffee shop. The last couple had already left, right now it was just them. The lights were dimmed to show potential customers that the shop was closed. Sonny caught his look around.

"I opened it almost four years ago. When I decided to stay in Salem."

He had caught Will's attention.

"Might me asking you how old you are?"  
Sonny shook his head.

"No not at all. 25."

A year older. Just a year older. Will found himself smiling over no real reason.

"So what was this attitude about? Earlier?"

Will sighed. He had known that he had to answer this question sooner or later. He had known Sonny wouldn't just forget it. Wouldn't just leave it.

While Will was still thinking about what to say, what to answer, a young woman with a child came into the shop.

"Were closed!"

Sonny spoke before he turned around and jumped up. He ran to the door and hugged the woman and the little girl at her hand.

"Abigail! June!"

Abigail smiled and let June go. She kissed Sonny's cheek, before looking at Will.

Will was death scared. He was scared about what was to come. The anger he would be faced in a few seconds.

"Sonny?" Her voice trembled, when she looked for Sonny, still confused.

"Oh yeah. This Abigail, is my friend Will Horton. Will Horton, Abigail Devereaux."  
Will stood up.

"We know each other. We used to be best … "

Abigail interrupted him harshly.

"We used to know each other, that's right, Will."  
Sonny looked at them, confused about Abigail's attitude and the sudden coolness in the shop. The atmosphere had changed. Dark clouds had come and had pushed away the sun and the warmth. Dark clouds swallowing everything but anger, cold and darkness.

"Abigail. I didn't do anything and I can't deal with your hate right now!"

"YOU can't deal with my hate? You can't deal with it. Let me tell you something – you don't have to deal with me. You have a choice. You could just walk away and never look back. I've never had a choice! I never had a freaking choice or chance. And I mean you aren't exactly free of it, are you?"

"Yes, Abigail. I am. I am not to blame for his actions. I am definitely not. And I never was!"

"No." She laughed a bitter laugh. "Of course you weren't. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have to be a single mom! You encouraged him. Just admit it!"  
"Abby. Please look at me. I did nothing of that sorts. He talked me into it."  
"And why isn't he back? He stayed, didn't he? He stayed even longer!"

Will was trying to get the truth over his lips. He tried to interrupt her, tried to tell her what he had kept on his chest for so very long. But he couldn't. Abigail had seen his little struggle. His struggle with the truth. When he didn't say anything else, she looked at him with cold. She bit her lower lip for a second before turning to Sonny.

"I need to go. Sorry, Sonny."

Sonny just stood there completely startled by her and Will and the screams and fight.

"No need. I'm gonna go."

Will went to the door. And the door step he turned around and looked back to Sonny.

"Thank you. Thank you, Sonny."  
Will saw that Sonny understood and he nodded towards him. As Will went into the darkness he knew that he had lost yet another friend but that he had also won one. He had one friendly mind in this town. One person to talk to, to rely to.

As Will went across the Town Square he felt doubts coming up inside him. What was Abigail telling Sonny? Would she made him turn away from him? Would she tell her mind twisting lies and rumors? And most importantly, would Sonny fall for it? Would Will loose yet another friend?


	11. Chapter 10

As Will turned the key in the lock, his mind had stopped wandering. He had thought back to the incident in the coffee shop several times on his way home but had come to the conclusion that there was no point in moaning over past friendship. That said, Will knew he was wrong. There was one friendship that he thought back just too many times already.

He went to the kitchen, desperately trying to do something, anything. When he didn't find anything to do he went to the bed, letting himself fall back on the blanket. He stared to the ceiling.

Will had just closed his eyes when he heard his mobile ringing.

"Yeah?"

"Ey Will! We are down in the club, wanna come?"  
That was a voice Will hadn't expected at all. Suddenly Will's voice changed from sleepy to wide awake.

"You are in Salem? How come?"

"This club is new here, so we wanted to check it out. What d'you think?"

Will wasn't sure what to answer but while his mind still tried to figure out what was smart, clever, he had already answered.

"Super. See you in a bit, yeah?"  
"Yes. See you then."

He stood up and after a short while in the bathroom, changing his shirt, splashing some water in his face, he went out the door, locking it behind him.

He knew where to go, he had seen the posters all over Salem before. And he just had to follow the music. He hated clubs like those, playing the music so loud. You couldn't talk and just be left alone in those clubs. People would always hit on him and he couldn't think of more excuses anymore.

It was all just looks and nothing behind it.

He saw the boys standing at the entrance waving at him. He felt his steps getting quicker without really wanting them too.

"Hi there!"

Will smiled at Patrick, who had phoned him earlier and hit his shoulder a little. He nodded towards the other guys, all being in his unit. He recognized James, Luke and Kiran standing with some other blokes Will didn't know. But apparently Patrick didn't bother to introduce Will to them. He shoved Will in the club, no caring about the others. After that everything speeded up. Before Will knew what was happening, he stood in the middle of the dance floor, holding a beer, dancing.

Dancing in Will's case meant stepping left and stepping right, trying to keep the beat. He didn't like the music, blowing his mind away. The colorful lights hurt his eyes, he blinked several times but it didn't really help. He also had trouble breathing with all those sweaty bodies around him. It was getting so damn hot.

Will turned his head around, looking for Patrick but he didn't see him. Glad that this nightmare would end right here and now he fought his way out of the crowd. Finally leaning against the counter he took a deep breath.

"I take it this is not your usual area, right?"

Will closed the eyes. The smalltalk. The being hit on. It started again. But this time Will turned around, actually looking at the person talking to him. He was surprised to see a man in front of him. Will smiled, determined to stay open minded and friendly.

"No, it's not. A bit too full and loud for my taste."

The man smiled and shook his head so that his hair got back in place. Will noticed this with a sadness. This guy could look so much better without this Justin Bieber hair. This hair style had been out years ago.

"That may be true. I love it here. You meet so many cool people. I'm Brian by the way." He held out his hand.

"Will."

Brian smiled at him, showing off his perfect teeth.

"Will. May I get you a drink?"

"Just so you know I am not interested."

For a moment he saw shadows flying over Brian's face before he caught himself.

"Chill, Will." He chuckled at that phrase.

"I just want to drink something with you. I don't want to hook up with you."

"Well, thanks."

Will stopped looking at Brian and wandered of. He looked back to the crowd, seeing them move as a whole while each and everyone made his own movements. There was something beautiful in it.

Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulders. Again Will turned around sharply and raised his hand. This time he couldn't stop himself. His fist landed at the cheek of the person behind him. The person flew back and fell to the floor, being unconscious. Much too late Will realized who it was.

"Sonny? Shit."  
Will sank to the floor, crawling over Sonny. He gently hit his cheek again, to get Sonny to stand up of at least say anything.

"Will?" He heard Brian's voice behind him. He looked up to Brian, reaching for the water in his hand. He poured it over Sonny's face finally getting him to cough and wake up.

"Sonny? Thank god. Listen, I am so ..."

"Will?!" Will closed his eyes. Patrick was the last person on earth he wanted to see right now. The last person he wanted to drag into this mess. The last person to find out. At least to find out this way.

"You hit me?" Sonny's voice trembled. He sat up, feeling his hot, red cheek. He looked confused at Will, Brian and Patrick obviously trying to figure out what just happened.

"He sure did. You queer."

Will closed his eyes trying to blend out what just happened. Trying not to hear the homophobia. Trying not to see Sonny's face in this very second.

"Sorry, what did you call me?"

Sonny stood up. Will followed him, offering his arm to Sonny in order for him to stand secure but Sonny pushed it away.

"You heard me, puff. You and your little fairy friend here, tried to hit on my friend Will. So he did good showing you your boundaries." Patrick looked straight at Will who still hadn't said anything.

"Sorry, that I wasn't here, bro. Should've gotten you out of this mess."

Will nodded, still not abled to show any emotion he felt inside.

"So I suggest you get lost. Both of you."

Sonny didn't move. He was looking at Will. His eyes black and full with disappointment. Will shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't do anything, not as long Patrick was watching him. He mouthed his apologies to Sonny but Sonny didn't react to them. He just looked coldly and went away, but not without bumping into Will's shoulder.

Seeing that, Patrick made the attempt to follow Sonny but Will held him back.

"It's fine."

Patrick looked at him with so much concern, that Will felt himself getting sick.

"You sure, though?"

Will nodded. Patrick looked at him again, tapping his shoulder. He turned around and went back into the crowd. As soon as Will didn't see him anymore, Will turned around and ran towards the exit, hoping to find Sonny there.


	12. Thank you's or An Author's Note

**Just a short authors note to say that I REALLY appreciate your reviews. I am not thanking you individually because frankly I forgot and don't have the time for that. But as cruel and unpolite as this sounds - I love that you review and that you give me ideas and the motivation to write. **

**I love updating my emails, saying i got new and positive reviews. And I also have good news:**

**I had a lot of time over the begin of the holidays so I wrote a lot. Let's hope it is any good. I am actually nearly finished with the story, it's not going too be long now. **

**I hope you still enjoy following this story and of course are still interested in it and ennoy reading it.**

**Lots of love xxx**


	13. Chapter 11

When he felt the cold air entering his lungs Will felt freer than before. He felt like everything would turn out right. He felt like he had a chance.

He looked around the parking lot. His hopes sank when he couldn't see Sonny anywhere. Without knowing why, without thinking about it, Will called a taxi and jumped in. He threw the address at the driver and saw the world flying along on the other side of the window. He leaned his forehead against the cold glass and closed his eyes.

As the cab stopped, he jumped out, threw the door into the lock, payed the driver with much more than he asked for and ran over the grass straight to the huge wooden door. He rang.

A long time no one answered the door until Will heard the key being turned around. He breathed in and breathed out, trying to calm down.

Justin Kiriakis opened the door.

Will didn't wait for him to ask him what he wanted. He didn't wait to be invited into their mansion but pushed himself in.

"Mr Horton! What are you doing?"

"Sonny!" Will screamed from the bottom of his lungs, not caring about Justin Kiriakis standing behind him, protesting about how Will entered his home.

"I know you are here. I need to talk to you!" Will looked around.

"I need you to go. Now. Otherwise I will have to call the police. Please go, Mr Horton. Leave!"

"Dad? It's ok."

Will saw Sonny coming down the stairs. His cheek was still red and Will could clearly see his fist in there.

"Listen, Sonny..." Will started to talk but stopped when he saw that Sonny didn't even look at him.

"Dad. I would like you with me. Just in case. Please."

That was the point where Will understood. Sonny was afraid of him. Was afraid he was getting hurt again. Will nodded. It was fair. Though he feared to tell Sonny everything in front of his father. He was not sure that he could tell him let alone others.

Sonny sat opposite him, his father standing at the window, trying to give both a little privacy. Will looked at the wall behind Sonny, looking straight into family pictures.

"Listen. I am so sorry."  
"For what exactly?"  
"For once, hitting you."

Sonny shrugged trying to keep a straight face, trying to look uninterested.

"I didn't mean to. Heck, you've been the only friendly person in this town."

"And you wanted to what? Confirm that you do like me?" Sonny was cold. Ice-cold.

"Back when I was in Libya I got into really dangerous situations. And I still shrug when I am touched. I don't know why, Sonny. You touched my shoulder and I turned around and did the first thing that came into my mind, trying to protect myself."

Shortly, Will saw something like compassion in Sonny's eyes. Sonny understood. But shortly after Sonny got strict again, looking straight through Will.

"And how do you explain you're behaviour in the club?"

Will bit his lip.

"I am sorry about that, too."

"You are such a hypocrite." Sonny got loud and angry. Will saw his father leave but Sonny didn't seem to care. His eyes shot fire. The emotionless- Sonny had turned into an dragon.

"Don't say that." Will got quiet. He looked to the floor, looking over the carpet.

"Why not? Why not, Will? You save me from being gay-bashed, tell me I am special and don't say anything as soon as your friends bash me again?"

Will felt tears in his eyes.

"I'd say that is hypocritical!" Sonny stood up and looked down at Will.

"Just say something dammit!"

"I couldn't say something Sonny. I just couldn't."  
"Why? Cause you are a coward?"

Will stood up, facing Sonny directly.

"Yes. I am a coward. I am a coward being in the military. I am a coward being gay himself!"  
"And you think that is a explanation for all of this?" Sonny looked back at Will. Will saw the confusion growing in Sonny's face, the realisation.

"You are what?" The question came quickly, sharply.

"I am gay." Will looked down again, before feeling brave enough to face Sonny.

"But... but you're a... Are you sure?"  
Will looked at Sonny's face, so disturbed, so confused, surprised on what he'd just heard.

"I've been sure for 7 years."

Sonny stumbled. He reached back with his hand, trying to feel the fabric of the sofa behind him. But he wasn't finding it so he turned his face around looking for it. When he found it he sat down, turning his hands in each other.

"But you... you are a..."  
"What? A soldier?"

Sonny looked up at him not sure what to say.

"I mean... What happened to "Don't Ask Don't Tell"?"  
"There is no such policy anymore."

Sonny looked at him with disbelief.

"How stupid can you be to join the army when you're gay?"  
Will felt misunderstood. He hated that feeling. He hated that Sonny tried to judge him. He wasn't going to let that happen.

"That wasn't stupid!"

His voice got loud.

"Oh no? So you did come out to your folks? You are openly gay?"

Will didn't say anything.

"Oh well, I thought so."

Will turned to the window and looked out. He felt Sonny looking at him but didn't move towards him. With a cold, steady voice he said something towards the window glass.

"You don't know me. You don't know why I did the things I did. You weren't there."

Sonny stood up, Will heard the floorboards creak. He felt his breath in his neck, the careful touch on his back. The touch lingered there, Will was imaging that Sonny waited for him to turn around and trying to hit Sonny again but nothing like that happened. Will just stood next to the window, not looking at the person behind him. He had reached the end. There was a sudden tiredness in him. He was too tired to move, somehow he just wanted to close his eyes and leave everything behind. To block everything out.

"You know... I wish I did. I wish you would let me get to know you Will Horton."


	14. Chapter 12

**Again, thank you for all the kind words and encouragements. I love every one of you for that!  
xxx**

Will felt Sonny move beside him. He smiled as he stood up. Slowly, trying no to wake Sonny up he went to the bathroom, closing the door beside him. Even slower he sank down at the doorstep, the door in his back, leaning his head against it. He sighed. What had happened? It had gone so fast.

He remembered everything, every little detail. But he wasn't sure how it could've happened. Sure thing, he liked Sonny. And yes he was hot. So hot. But was Will feeling really something like that for him? Was he? He couldn't decide. Didn't know how.

"Are you in there?"

He heard a knock and a gentle voice just above his head on the other side of the door.

"Just a sec."

In his voice he smiled, sure that Sonny would hear that smile. He jumped up, splashed some water in his face and turned the lock around. He literally bumped into Sonny on the way to the bed. He let himself fall back onto the sheets, looking at Sonny who had put his clothes back on.

Dwelling in the memories of last night, his heart jumped when he heard a knock on the room door.

"This is Michael. Mr and Mrs wanted me to ask whether your guest is staying for breakfast."

"The housekeeper." Sonny mouthed to Will before answering.

"Yes, he will. We are both very hungry after last night."

"Sonny!" Will exclaimed.

"What?"  
"Would you please keep your sex references to yourself? Kinda embarrassing for me."

Sonny bowed towards him, kissing his cheek.

"You got nothing to worry about."

"Yeah sure. Cause every parents love their son to have sex with the guy who beat him up just earlier that evening."  
"Stop it Will. You didn't beat me. You were under stress. Quite understandably so."  
Will didn't want to hear the pity in Sonny words, so he stood up, looked back to Sonny and opened the door.

"You coming?"

Will felt just weird. He wasn't feeling comfortable at all. Adrienne and Justin Kiriakis had been friendly enough not to mention anything. They hadn't said anything about Sonny and Will being together at all and Will was very grateful for that.

"Why is it so quiet here?"

Sony said while biting in the roll in his mouth and chewing it.

Will had just taken a sip of his coffee and when he heard the question he coughed. He coughed really hard.

"So... Are you ready to tell us, what you are doing, Will?" Adrienne asked him, while grabbing the butter.

Will sighed, trying to breath in. He nodded.

"I am a soldier. Lieutenant with the US Army."  
"That explains it." Justin Kiriakis said.

"That explains what?" Will was quick in asking that. Too quick, so he added a "Sir."

Justin laughed.

"Your attitude, son. You were able to fight of three men at the same time, when our Sonny here couldn't do it. And he trains a lot. You carried Sonny all the way back to your apartment. You are standing up straighter than everyone I know and you turned around when the maid came in."  
Sonny laughed and little crumbs of bread flew over the table.

"Sorry, but your face is just hilarious."  
Will looked at Sonny still not quite getting the whole situation at this table.

"Dad is a lawyer. So he can read others like they're an open book."  
Will smiled at Justin at this information.

"Sonny? Could I just talk to you for a second?"  
"Mom. Not right now. Please."  
Adrienne looked at Sonny. Will saw the pure worry in her face. And somehow he felt guilty. He felt like he was the reason for that.

"But I really feel this is important. So please. Could we go into the kitchen."  
But Sonny didn't move. He was just sitting in his chair, obviously determined to stay in this very position.

"That is rude, mom. I do not want to leave my guest alone with my dad. Whatever it is you can either wait or tell me here."  
In this very moment Will was praying. Praying that Adrienne would go with the 'waiting' part. Cause he didn't want to go through his inner feelings once again. He didn't want to be judged and clearly didn't want to justify himself for Sonny's parents.

"I just don't think that is a good idea, honey."  
Sonny didn't understand what his mother meant.

"Mom, I don't get you. What are you trying to say?"

Will looked down at his plate. He saw his fingers drawing circles on the surface.

"I don't really think it's appropriate, Sonny. What I have to tell you is nothing Will should hear right now. I'm sorry."

Adrienne threw a look at him filled with apologies, but Will didn't feel them inside of him. If she were really sorry, she wouldn't address the topic in the first place. She secretly wanted him to hear everything she was going to say. And as soon as Will realised that he knew what he had to do. He wouldn't let her lower himself. He just wouldn't.

Will interrupted the silent questions Sonny asked his mother.

"It's alright Adrienne. Just go ahead. Whatever you want to say, I can take it."  
Will knew that was just partly true but he had to stay calm.

Adrienne looked at him, confused by his attitude.

"Sonny I just fear that Will is not right for you..."

Sonny laughed a little before turning strict and looking at her coldly.

"What d'you mean?"

"Will is a closeted gay man, who had joined the army so he wouldn't have to face the truth about himself." Adrienne breathed out. "And he is also Sami Brady's son. What's more he beat you up!"  
Silent lay over the table. Will couldn't but thinking how she knew. Well, that she knew his mother and that he beat Sonny was clear. That was simple. But how did she know about his sexuality.

Still thinking about what to say to Sonny's mother he felt how the situation shifted. Sonny made the situation his without hesitation.

"You are gay?"

Will heard the smile in his voice. It was so small that Will knew that Justin and Adrienne wouldn't catch it. The smile said, play along. And Will did.

"Well, I imagined telling you differently but yes, I am.

Sonny acted like he was surprised. And Adrienne caught that and believed it.

"So you two aren't... ?"  
Sonny looked confused and shook his head.

"But you spent the night together … So you didn't..."

Will answered her, not without laughing secretly at her confusion.

"I hit Sonny and we spent the night discussing my motives for hitting him and I tried convince him to forgive me."

"Did he?"  
Will nodded, thinking back at the night they just spent together. Thinking back to him being tangled up in skin, passion and lust.

Adrienne wasn't convinced, Sonny and Will felt that. But they also saw how awkward she felt, given that she just insulted Will and his life.


End file.
